Wall tile or panels



y 7, 1969 B. KOWALUK 3,445,976

WALL TILE OR PANELS Filed July 17, 1967 FIG. I I

FIG. 2

5a 104/ x 0 v44 04' United States Patent 96 Int. Cl. E0415 13708; E04c 1/100 US. Cl. 52-511 Claims 1 Claim ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE The device consists of wall panels or tiles being substantially concave-convex and having ribs integral therewith spanning the concave surface. A dowel or the like is secured to the wall or supporting surface and the rib is provided with a recess thus permitting the tile or panel to be snapped on to the dowel thus retaining the tile or panel with the perimetrical edges thereof abutting the wall surface.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tiles or decorative panels or the like.

These tiles or panels may be manufactured from any material but preferably they are formed from plastic. An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which enables such tiles or panels to be easily afiixed to a wall or supporting surface either in abutting relationship or spaced apart for decorative purposes.

Conventionally it is necessary to use adhesive to secure such tiles or panels or, alternatively, with relatively large tiles or panels, to use a mechanical fixing device such as a screw or bolt, the head of which then shows on the decorative surface thus marring the effect.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which enables the tiles or panels to be moved'if desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the retaining members can be secured to any supporting surface either by adhesive or by screws, the retaining member being hidden if desired by the tile or panel.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing considerations in view, and such other objects, purposes or advantages as may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept which embraces or includes the method, process, construction, arrangement of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing, as herein particularly exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is an underside view of one embodiment of device.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of FIGURE 1, reduced in scale.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view showing the tile or panel being offered into engagement with the retaining member, the section of the tile being substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the device but having a different configuration.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The tiles or panels hereinafter to be described can be of any configuration either elliptical, circular, square or 3,445,976 Patented May 27, 1969 oblong depending upon the decorative efiect required. Also of course the tiles can be manufactured from any material and can be of any size.

However, basically the tile is preferably approximately 18 inches in length, 6 inches in width, and three-fourths of an inch in depth.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference character 10 illustrates a supporting surface such as a wall upon which it is desired to detachably secure the tile or panel shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 inelusive and being identified generally by the reference character 11.

The tile in FIGURE 5 is similar in principle but is of a different configuration and is therefore identified by the general reference character 11'.

The tile consists of a relatively thin shell 12 which is concave-convex thus presenting a convex outer surface 13 and a concave inner surface 14. e

A pair of ribs 15 are formed integrally with the tile upon the inner face thereof and span the concave surface 14, said ribs being in spaced and parallel relationship with one another.

These ribs are provided with a cent-rally located cutout or recess 16 which is substantially circular in configuration but it should be noted that the junctions 17 between the edge 18 of the rib and the cut-out, are spaced apart by an amount less than the full width of the cut-out.

A retaining member 19 in the form of a dowel is secured to the supporting surface 10 by screws 20 or the like extending therethrough and into the supporting surface and the configuration and size of the dowel 19 is such that the cut-outs 16 of the ribs 15 snap over the dowel when the tile is pressed against the dowel, it being understood that the ribs are slightly resilient to permit this action to occur. This retains the tile firmly in place upon the dowel yet enables same to be removed if desired.

When in position as shown in phantom by the reference character 21 in FIGURE 4, the perimetrical edge 22 of the tile and the aforementioned edge 18 substantially abut the supporting surface 10 so that the tile or panel is mounted flush against the wall of supporting surface 10 insofar as the edges are concerned.

The aforementioned screws 20 are preferably situated upon the dowel 19 so that when the tile is in position, the screws are just inboard of the ribs 15 as shown in FIGURE 5.

Under normal circumstances, there is a dowel 19 f r each tile, the length of which is less than the length of the tile taken on a dimension parallel to the dowel so that the dowel is completely enclosed by the tile or panel when installed.

The provision of the pair of ribs in spaced apart parallel relationship holds the panel or tile firmly in position giving a domed decorative effect, it being understood, of course, that the convex surface 13 can be colored or textured as desired by the manufacturer without effecting the detachability and installation concept of the device.

Various modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed. Accordingly, it is intended that what is described herein should be regarded as illustrative of such concept and not for the purpose of limiting protection to any particular embodiment thereof, but that only such limitations should be placed upon the scope of protection to which the inventor hereof is entitled, as justice dictates.

What is claimed to be the present invention is:

1. The combination of a decorative panel and concealed means for removably securing the same to a supporting surface, said panel comprising a thin concaveconvex shell having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface defined by a perimetric edge of the shell, at least two thin ribs formed integrally with said shell at the concave inner surface of the shell and extending in mutually spaced parallel relation across the shell, said ribs having inner edges substantially coplanar with said perimetric edge of the shell, the inner edge portions of said ribs being provided with undercut recesses which are aligned transversely of the ribs, and said securing means comprising an elongated rod-like member aflixed to a supporting surface, said rod-like member being longer than the spacing between said ribs but shorter than said shell in a direction transverse of the ribs, and being snap-fittingly received in the rib recesses whereby to removably secure the shell to the supporting surface with the pe-rimetric edge of the shell abutting the supporting surface while said rod-like member is completely contained and concealed within the shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1906 Blackman 52510 1/1966 Begian 52288 X 1/1966 McNair 527l7 X 8/1967 Arp 52511 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1957 Switzerland.

US. Cl. X.R. 

